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Hulk, Oscar inspire Shanghai to rout Western Sydney in ACL
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Oscar (sipg-fc.com/sipg-fc.com)
G
oals from high-profile recruits Oscar and Hulk helped Shanghai SIPG thrash 2014 winner Western Sydney Wanderers 5-1 in the Asian Champions League.
The Brazilians, signed for a combined total of around $100 million in the last two transfer windows, struck early in the first half to give the Chinese Super League team a second win from two matches in Group F.
Hulk, scorer of the only goal in the win at FC Seoul last week, rose above the Wanderers' backline to send in a powerful header in just the third minute.
Not long after, he slipped the ball through a crowded area for Oscar, signed from Chelsea in January, to shoot into the bottom corner.
Mitch Nichols pulled a goal back for the Wanderers but, before the half-hour, Sun Ke and Elkeson made it 4-1. China international Wu Lei completed the lopsided win in the second half.
"We looked dangerous going forward throughout the game," Shanghai coach Andre Villas-Boas said.
Shanghai was second in the group on goal difference behind Urawa Reds, which followed up its 4-0 opening win over the Wanders with a 5-2 win over FC Seoul.
Australian clubs have had a terrible start to the tournament, with the Brisbane Roar crushed 6-0 by South Korea's Ulsan Horangi in an earlier Group E match.
Thailand club Muangthong United registered its first win ever in the Asian Champions League with Xisco's stoppage-time goal giving them a 2-1 victory over Japanese champion Kashima Antlers in Group E.
Muangthong was coming off a draw in Brisbane in its opening match and went ahead on 12 minutes via Theerathon Bunmathan's 25-yard free kick.
Pedro Junior equalized when he beat Kawin Thamsatchanan at the second attempt following Leandro's cross and Kashima had a chance to take the lead but Yuma Suzuki missed from the penalty spot in the last 10 minutes. Xisco capitalized deep in injury time to give Muangthong its first win from eight starts in the group stage.
In Group C, star midfielder Omar Abdulrahman converted an 89th minute penalty — the only goal of the second half — to secure Al Ain 3-2's win over Bunyodkor at Tashkent.
Persepolis FC of Iran had a 3-2 over Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi and Al Hilal held off Al Rayyan 2-1 at Riyadh in Group D.
